1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a portable telephone and terminal equipment in which various types of data can be inputted by switching between a plurality of input modes.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, mobile data communication systems capable of accessing computer networks such as the internet through mobile communication networks currently exist. As examples of this type of system, there are those which treat the portable telephone as a simple adapter, and use a notebook or laptop type computer as a data terminal equipment, or those which use the portable telephone itself as a data terminal equipment.
In systems treating portable telephones as simple adapters, the users must carry a data terminal equipment in addition to the portable telephone which reduces ease of portability, and requires work to physically connect the portable telephone and data terminal equipment, thus increasing the load on the user. In addition, improvements of peripheral technology enabled that portable telephones had features to be required as data terminal equipments. Due thereto, systems using the portable telephone itself as a data terminal equipment have been actively proposed and developed in recent years.
As an example of an actually existing service, there is a system wherein a browser, which is software for browsing data, is provided in the portable telephone, and internet WWW (World Wide Web) services are offered to users of portable telephones via the mobile communication network. In this system, when a portable telephone receives data (hereinafter referred to as HTML data) written in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) offered by a server on the internet, the HTML data is interpreted and executed at the portable telephone to generate a user interface (such as a graphical user interface) according to the HTML data, which is offered to the user of the portable telephone.
This being said, forms are widely used on the WWW as a method for servers to acquire input data from users over the internet. These forms are user interfaces which are provided by interpreting and executing HTML data. Each of forms usually has at least one text input fields for users to input text data. The data input procedures for such text input fields are usually as follows.
A user operates cursor moving means while referred to a form displayed on the display device to select a text input field in which to input data, then inputs data into the field. This procedure is repeated for the number of text input fields requiring data input, after which an instruction to transmit the inputted data is inputted. As a result, the data inputted into the form is sent to the server on the internet.
However, when inputting data into a text input field permitting the input of only a specific type of data, the user must operate data input means (such as a keyboard) for inputting the specific type of data. For example, if the selected text input field is a field for inputting a Japanese address, the data input means must be operated to enable input of kanji and kana characters, and if the field is for inputting one""s age, it must be possible to input numerals.
In particular, in the case of Japanese, the characters displayed (inputted symbol code) will differ between hiragana and katakana even if the input procedure (key operating procedure) is exactly the same, so that the user must be able to designate which type of character to input. Additionally, when inputting Japanese, a method of using the Latin alphabet as phonetic symbols and converting the inputted letters into kana or kanji as required is widely employed. That is, when inputting Japanese, operations to select characters are necessary. This type of operation is also performed for inputting characters in languages other than Japanese (such as a portion of the languages other than Japanese utilized in various Asian countries). In contrast, with input systems that allow for the input of only numerals and alphabetic letters it is possible to eliminate the need for operations to select displayed characters. For example, an input system can be conceived wherein an input mode for inputting numerals, an input mode for inputting capital alphabet letters and an input mode for inputting lower case alphabet letters are provided and the input is performed after choosing one of these. However, in this case as well, an operation to switch input modes is required, just as for inputting Japanese addresses or inputting one""s age. Of course, it is possible to reduce the number of the operations mentioned above as long as it is possible to use input means with enough operating keys such as a keyboard for inputting data into a computer, but providing such input means would require portability to be sacrificed.
The above operations require a lot of work of users, and in particular, they can be troublesome for users of portable telephones for which it is difficult to provide a sufficient number of operating keys for inputting various types of data and arrange the operating keys in such a way as to simplify data input. That is, in terminal equipments such as portable telephones, much troublesome work is required when trying to change the functions (resources) of a terminal equipment such as the input mode, thus for example requiring a lot of work of users when inputting data using forms.
One of the objects of the present invention is to offer a terminal equipment such as a portable telephone capable of reducing the work required of users when inputting data without complicating the operating system. Additionally, another object of the present invention is to offer a terminal equipment enabling users to readily make use of the resources in their own equipments.
In order to achieve the above-described purpose, the portable telephone or terminal equipment of the present invention comprises operating means having a plurality of input modes and provided with at least one operating keys, for inputting data of a type in accordance with a current input mode by operation of the operating keys; user interface providing means for providing a user interface allowing input of data by the operating means; and input mode setup means for setting up the current input mode in response to the user interface. According to this structure, the current input mode is set up according to the user interface, so that there is no need for the user to change the input mode manually.
Additionally, the user interface may be made into a visual user interface, or be such that the user interface has a plurality of input areas for inputting data, and each of the input areas has properties allowing input of specific types of data; comprising selecting means for selecting one input area from among the plurality of input areas; and the input mode setup means sets up, as the current input mode, an input mode in accordance with the property of the input area selected by the selecting means. In the former case, it becomes possible to use a large amount of existing content employing a visual user interface, and in the latter case, it is possible to achieve much more precise input mode switching.
Furthermore, in the latter case, by making the user interface a visual user interface and making the input area a region having spatial breadth, it is possible to use a large amount of existing content.
Furthermore, in each of the above structures, it is possible to have receiving means for receiving data from a mobile communication network (or communication network) side through a radio communication channel, with the user interface providing means providing a user interface allowing input of data by the operating means based on data received by the receiving means, or to have transmitting means for transmitting data inputted by operation of the operating means through a radio communication channel (or communication path) to a mobile communication network (or communication network) side. By employing such an arrangement, a flexible data communication system can be constructed.
Additionally, a terminal equipment according to another mode of the present invention comprises at least one resource; receiving means for receiving data for controlling the resource; and control means for controlling the resource based on data received by the receiving means.
Additionally, a terminal equipment according to yet another mode of the present invention comprises at least one resource; receiving means for receiving data; user interface providing means for providing a user interface based on data received by the receiving means; and control means for controlling the resource in accordance with the user interface.
Additionally, in the terminal equipments according to each of the modes described above, the resource may be a hardware resource, and the receiving means may receive the data through a communication terminal.